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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27574450">Not for ourselves alone are we born</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorbus/pseuds/Sorbus'>Sorbus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Non nobis solum [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Friendship, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Moving On, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:09:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27574450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorbus/pseuds/Sorbus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The legends tell of epic journeys and grand quests of the Hero. He fights, he struggles, and finally he is triumphant. Few ever really expand beyond that final battle. When the closing curtains fall, Link and Zelda have to make their way through the rest of their lives. </p><p>Or</p><p>What happens after.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link &amp; Zelda (Legend of Zelda), The Great Fairy &amp; Link (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Non nobis solum [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not for ourselves alone are we born</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The problem was, Link had too many clothes. </p><p>Well, it hadn't been as problem before, so much a side effect of his adventure over the wide expanse of Hyrule and his own covetous nature. It seemed that wherever he went, the opportunity for new clothes arose. Villages had multiple outfits for sale, and Link simply couldn't resist buying them all up. Not to mention Gerudo town, which had been a whole adventure in clothing that Link could still scarcely wrap his head around. </p><p>Link had needed to enter the city. A Hylian man had first sold him some flimsy silk outfit around in the shaded area around the back of Kara Kara Bazaar. This, in fact turned out <em>not</em> to be what Gerudo wore - it was an outfit designed by a old Hylian traveller who had been obsessed with entering Gerudo town and the imagined pleasured therein.</p><p>Another Hylian, this time a woman found him in that monstrosity and helped him out. Really, she had taken pity on him, embarrassed and burning up in the sun with no cover for his pale skin. Link had gotten the impression she had once made the same mistakes in finding women's wear, though probably for different a different reason to 'I need to speak to whoever can let me fight the Giant Murder Beast in the desert'. </p><p>She had given him a different outfit for free on the premise that he would burn the set. Link happily obliged, and found himself granted with a beautiful embroidered skirt that went all the way down to his ankles, with a matching top - a Lehenga Choli. There was a complementary and amazingly intricate cloth that acted as both a scarf and a wrap called a Sari. This he thought, would be the end of it.</p><p>Then when he finally met Riju, he found out there was a different outfit altogether for Gerudo warriors and had to go find himself a Salwar Kameez: a long sleeved tunic that ended at his knees, paired with loose fitting trousers that tapered at the ankles. Some were patterned, but not as heavily at his previous skirt outfit. It was almost a shame to retire the lehenga, but with the light and loose fabric of his salwar, and the accompanying scarf he had wrapped around his head to beat the heat, Link was more than ready to face Thunderblight Ganon and look cool while doing so. </p><p>(Not to mention that afterwards he found a secret club dedicated entirely to clothing. It also had a Salwar Kameez, but one that was pure white for some inexplicable reason, some heavily decorated coat called a Kurta, and the strangest bone outfit Link had ever set his eyes upon. He almost set himself bankrupt buying them all.) </p><p>Yet even when he wasn't actively seeking out clothes by way of tracking down the spoils of a long gone thief, or outright buying them, it seemed Link couldn't get out of having at least an extra set of clothes or two. At least a good handful of his outfits had come from the very shrines he was obliged to seek out and complete. And upon completion of all hundred and twenty shrine there was to be found, what does he recieve? Yet another set of clothes. </p><p>The greedy, inner child that had awoken to a broken world with nothing to his name couldn't quite it in himself to mind his mounting collection of stuff.</p><p>See, the other problem was that Link was a bit of a magpie. He liked shiny things, like gems and jewelry. He liked the cool big swords that were closely guarded by the most dangerous of monsters. He loved to collect things - food, monster parts, (clothes), weapons, items - even entries in the Hyrule compendium. (The last one was somewhat important to regaining the knowledge lost to the destruction of the calamity, in all fairness to Link, and so shouldn't be judged to his detriment.)</p><p>So Link had a lot of stuff - clothes included - and a lot of that stuff was of good quality, rare, or otherwise hard to find. Link's main source of pleasure since his awakening had been to chase down every possible loose end he could possibly find. So yes, he had found each of the great faries and awoken them from their slumber. Yes, he had found the missing statue of the Eighth Heroine, alongside the far scattered remains of the great skeletons of old. He had found well over seven hundred Korok seeds, and counting. Hetsu had long since stretched the bounds of his ability to expand Link's inventory, but Link had continued to track the seeds down whenever the mood struck. </p><p>The great fairies had indulged him, for far too long even, Impa would say. They had sent him far across Hyrule to find some of the most exotic or dangerous ingredients in order to enchant his clothes. He had spent time with them at length in between fighting the malice that remained in the divine beasts, and had bid them all a farewell before going off to face Ganon. Their enchantments were difficult to obtain, but incredibly strong, and Link could probably credit his continued existence to their handiwork multiple times over. </p><p>And when all was well and done, the calamity defeated and Zelda released, Link was a man without a plan. For months he had been on quest where every minute had mattered, lest Zelda's strength finally fail her. In whatever time he hadn't been beating back the forces of malice, he had been frantically gathering items, enchantments, food and potions, and trying to sooth some of the many troubles of Hyrule's people. </p><p>Then it was over, and suddenly there was no need to stock up on potion ingredients or upgrade the enchantment on his amber earings ever again. Their defence had already served him well, and it was unlikely that an even greater foe than the calamity itself would appear. </p><p>Link found himself strangely disappointed with the thought. </p><p>At a loss with himself, it had taken Link weeks to return to a great fairy fountain. Link could see the serene waters of Lake Akkala and the twinkling lights of Tarrey town. The crisp smell of the evening time air was upon them. Both faries and fireflies alike lit up the darkness, dancing on the evening breeze. All at once the impressive figure of Mija arose from the water and she let out a booming laugh. </p><p>"Back again, are you? Shall I enchant your clothing for you?" She peered at his dejected form. "Oh, what's wrong? I'm sure if you don't have the items now I can direct you where to find them!" </p><p>Link shook his head. 'No need.' He signed. 'Calamity is gone.' </p><p>"Now, now!" Mija said, clapping Link on the shoulder and staggering him. "That has nothing to do with my sisters and I! You can't really think to deprive the world of our best work by giving up halfway, can you?" </p><p>'What will I use it for?' Link asked, hesitant. Hope and pragmatism warred within him. There truly was no need to continue as he had been. His quest was over, the princess was safe. He even had a house now to go back to. </p><p>"Pah, what use!" Mija exclaimed, waving a hand. "Our work should be admired! We enchant things and accept offerings because ir is in our nature, young hero. Why, without that we may as well go back to sleep!"</p><p>Some part of that struck a chord with him, but the larger part of Link set the thought aside for now.</p><p>"In that case," he said, slowly losing hesitation, his confidence loosening his tongue to let him speak. "I think my amber earings can be enchanted one more time, right? What would I need for that?" </p><p>Mija laughed, delighted. "Now you're talking! Here, let me take a look."</p><p>Soon, Link was adapting to a new normal. His discussion with Mija had reminded him of a very important fact: the great faries had been dormant when he had met them. The stronger their power, the higher the offering they needed just to wake up, until the price to do so was near exorbitant. Link had met only one other traveller on his quest who had attempted to make the pilgrimage to a great fairy, and that traveller's <em>life savings</em> hadn't been enough to reawaken her without Link's own contribution. Surely if he stopped visiting them, giving offerings and requesting help, the great faries would go back to sleep and only Hylia knows how long it would take for someone else to reawaken them. </p><p>However, their locations which had once been lost, consigned only to rumour, had been rediscovered by Link. The roads that had once been overrun with monsters, never to be clear with their revival every blood moon, were now safer than they'd been in probably a century. Many things had been lost to the hundred year calamity, but this was something Link could give back to the people of Hyrule. </p><p>Another, more common thing, had been lost to the people of Hyrule as well. The art of potion making. Maybe in eons past, the Heros of their era could simply walk into a shop to buy potions, but no longer. Link hadn't known the fullest implications of his inexplicable potion knowledge until he was trying to scrape together enough rupees to buy his house. He'd blown all his savings thus far on his adventure to revive Tera in the Gerudo desert. Given the local climate, she was possibly the first of her sisters to lose followers and offerings, and that loss showed in the whopping ten thousand rupees she wanted from him. </p><p>Unwilling to part with his rare gems and ores, Link had looked to food, cooked and otherwise, monster parts, and finally potions. He needed rupees quick in order to make his payments before the house he so desperately wanted was demolished. And to his surprise, ingredients that were worth very little individually could be worth over two hundred rupees a bottle in a well brewed potion. It was astounding until Link recalled the severe lack of potion vendors in his travels. The only time he deigned to buy any had been at the foot of death mountain, for a rip-off price of nintey rupees. Link had not yet been able to venture the places to find the ingredients to make his own but when he did end making a heat resistant potion, the effects were so much more potent it had surprised him. </p><p>Although Link guiltily reassured himself that he would reintroduce the knowledge to Hyrule, one way or another, he couldn't deny that potioneering was an unexpected boon in terms of making a profit. For very litte effort on his behalf, Link could dip into the massive reserves of animal and monster parts he owned and produce a near-endless supply of potions that no shop or merchant was willing to turn down. It supported both him and Zelda, who had also returned with no earthly belongings into a Hyrule which hadn't been ruled by a Royal family in generations. </p><p>Plus efforts to increase pilgrimage to the great faries were slowly but surely catching on, although not at a rate where Link could afford to abandon them altogether. None of them had said anything directly, but in the past month Link had finally upgraded his last piece of clothing and they continued to welcome his company. He no longer had a reason to visit the great faries or pay then for their enchanments, but both he and the sisters knew that without him they'd be left to wither once more. </p><p>"Rupee for your time?" Link asked, sitting comfortably in the shade of the great Gerudo leviathan. The loose white cotton of his hard gotten salwar fluttered around his legs in the breeze. Tera giggled at the excuse, but nodded. Link reached into his pouch to produce a handful of purple rupees he gave to her. </p><p>Mija was the fairy closest to Tarrey Town, and so he had a soft spot for her, having visited so often on his way to and from the town. Tera was the most isolated fairy, alongside Kayasa, and so Link had started to make a concentrated effort to visit them more often. </p><p>Tera accepted the rupees gracefully. They disappeared in a shower of sparkles, and Link had never bothered to ask where they went. Tera leaned on the edge of her flower, elbow bent and palm on face, ready to gossip. </p><p>"Now tell me, what has our lovely Hero been up to in these past months?"</p><p>"Well," Link mused, trying to think back on what he last told her. "I've started a carrot patch in my garden. Thanks to you and your sisters for letting me pick so many, Zelda is experimenting with them to see what soil and weather conditions suit them best. She hopes to domesticate them for mass production - in her own words." </p><p>Link waved an arm and rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. "All that science stuff. She still loves it."</p><p>"And how is our young majesty?" </p><p>Link made a face at the title. </p><p>"Zelda's doing good. She has her exercises to do and those are going fine. Her studies are coming along great, I think she's going to ask Purah to be her apprentice." </p><p>If Tera noticed his discomfort with the question she didn't make note of it. </p><p>"What about castle town? And progress on rebuilding?" Tera sighed fondly. "I heard such stories of what it looked like before, so magnificent!"</p><p>Link struggled briefly to reply. Sometimes he'd speak to people - mostly friends. Sometimes he would sign. Often if he was upset or overwhelmed his throat would feel like it was closing up, his hands would  shake, and no words would come at all. It was slowly approaching upsetting territory. </p><p>He cleared his throat. "We- we're petitioning the village council. I think- well- if we." He paused, restarted. "Hateno has a council that collectively decides what actions they want to take," he explained. </p><p>His voice was quiet. Tera hummed to show she was listening, so he continued. </p><p>"That's what we want for Hyrule. If we can contact the other villages and settlements then we can decide about rebuilding together." </p><p>Tera tapped her chin. "Surely the Princess would be a better envoy than some village elders?"</p><p>And there was the upset. Tera didn't know - she couldn't know without Link explaining. But his voice was gone, his mind blanking under the pressure. The insurmountable task ahead of him - of he and Zelda both overcame him with stress all at once. Would people understand? Would they interfere? Only a handful of people who knew both him and Zelda from a century past remained, but those few were powerful powerful people, and they could make life very difficult if they wished. </p><p>How do you explain to these people, who for years mourned a Hyrule that was great, with a royal family blessed by the goddess herself and a Hero sent down from the heavens, that you didn't want it back? </p><p>He had to leave. </p><p>"Link-"</p><p>Whatever Tera would have said was lost in the rushing in his ears and Link disappeared in blue light. </p><p>He reappeared and immediately felt colder. The top of the Duelling Peaks were chilly. But the air up there was crisp and clean in a way that other parts of Hyrule - for all its wilderness - failed to copy. </p><p>Link dug around his inventory to produce a ruby circlet that immediately brought a welcome flush of warmth to his body and up to the tips of his ears. </p><p>There was a short ledge to his left. He knew if he climbed it he would find three small statues where a Korok had once hid. Dewdrop - the Korok he had found there - had kept him company on many a long night. </p><p>Once for a week straight Link had camped up on this peak, wearing only his snowquil outfit to stay warm. One could see all of central Hyrule from there, and he took advantage of that, staying awake all night and sleeping through the days in an attempt to catch sight of some falling stars. Dewdrop had been a welcome companion, regaling stories of the forest, coming up with fun games to play - and if that failed, pinching Link to keep him awake through the hours of darkness. Link missed Dewdrop. </p><p>Dewdrop wasn't there. Link had finished upgrading all his armour and had no desperate need for falling stars, and so Dewdrop eventually had gone home. </p><p>It was lonlier without them, but the crisp air, the unbroken silence, and the feeling of wind through his hair: these things calmed Link. Almost without realising it, he was crouched a few metres away from the sheer drop, rocking slightly on his heels. </p><p>All too quickly Link could feel the embarrassment come over him. How shameful, for the Hero to get overwhelmed by such a simple question. He had overreacted, leaving like that without word. Surely other people will ask the exact same thing. The Zora nobility might even take offence to be contacted by a council of commoners when they knew well enough that the princess was alive and well. </p><p>Zelda would tell him off for thinking like that, he knew. Link had heard it enough times from her - that sometimes you needed to step back and recollect yourself. Other times you needed to be supported before you could support others. Zelda said a lot of things, most of them meant to comfort him. She had been trapped for a century, and whatever scars that left upon her, whatever it cost - the price of that toil - Link always got the sense that she thought of herself as a secondary actor in the play of the calamity's demise. </p><p>It was a work in progress.</p><p>Somehow Zelda's issues were calming to think about. Not because Link cared any less about them - he cared far more for her wellbeing than his own really. But for the fact that despite all her strengths, and all the hardship she faced, Zelda was one of the first people to diminish her own struggles. And well- if it was true for her that she deserved more,</p><p>maybe,<br/>
possibly<br/>
it <em>might</em>-</p><p>be true for him too.</p><p>As he had said, it was a work in progress. </p><p>The fresh air, quiet, and open space had done its job well, however. Link felt significantly better, and much less claustrophobic. He kept rocking on his heels for the feel of it, the quiet joy of movement. </p><p>He would have to apologise. </p><p>The great fairies were proud in the same way all the old spirits and gods were. For their friendship, Link was certain that Tera would forgive him with no questions asked. For their friendship he would answer them regardless. Though maybe in a little while: dusk was soon approaching, and Zelda would be back home soon, anticipating dinner. </p><p>Link grabbed his slate, and with a couple of taps, was gone from the lonely mountain peak and had appeared in Hateno village, not further than a minute from his home. He shook his head one last time to clear it, and checked over his clothes just in case Zelda had arrived back before him. She would see through him anyway, but it would be up to him whether or not he wanted to talk about it. </p><p>He crossed the bridge leading to their home, absently waving to the Korok under the bridge as he went past. Leafstem was a good neighbour to have. In his mind, he was going over recipes and ingredients, trying to get a feel for what he really fancied to eat that evening. Something with pumpkin maybe. </p><p>He opened the front door and let the warmth and comfort of home envelop him. Zelda was already back, her hair slightly frizzed from a day working in the laboratory, and papers strewn across the table. She looked up at the sound of the door opening, her face transforming from the furrowed brow of concentration into a warm smile. </p><p>Link would never tire of it.</p><p>"Welcome home!" She said, rushing to scoop up papers in order to make room for him. </p><p>Link looked upon her, and for a moment allowed himself to absorb her appearance. Her hair was shorter now, more prone to sticking in every and all directions. She had a pair of reading glasses on, although her eyesight had always been much better than his in his scant memories of a time past. A hundred year lack of sunlight could do it, maybe.</p><p>Although she still wore a deep, royal blue, her tunic was loose and casual. It covered up to her knees, and made way for the sturdy but comfortable trousers she now wore at every opportunity. There was a belt at her waist that held two leather pouches. Her boots, much like his but only half as worn, stopped just below her shin. </p><p>Zelda was the image of practicality. It was a far cry from the past, where even her travelling clothes included an elaborate corset. Link could almost convince himself that if he hadn't known already, he wouldn't have guessed that she was of royal blood. </p><p>Something else, deep in the very depths of his soul, whispered that he could recognise here at any place and any time. Over and over again, always.</p><p>He ignored it. </p><p>'Hello,' he signed. With one arm raised to wave he clipped the sheikah slate to his hip with the other. There, both hands free. 'How are you?' He continued. </p><p>"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed, turning to face him more fully. "I'm good!" She said. She did sound excited. "We finally drafted an introduction for our proposal, and the village council are meeting next week to pick a representative! Are you going to go?" </p><p>Link nodded once. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and he could feel the last of his dark thoughts lifted. </p><p>"Oh but I didn't even ask! How are you?"</p><p>Link shrugged, bringing his hands up and down like playing some imaginary drums. 'So-so.' He lay a hand flat against his stomach and circled it once. 'Hungry.' </p><p>Zelda's stomach took the opportunity to rumble loudly at that very moment, and her betrayed expression startled a laugh out of Link. 'Food.' He signed decisively, grinning. </p><p>Zelda smiled back at him, and he made his way further inside, unhooking his slate so that he could pick out ingredients. He could feel a warmth, starting in his belly and going all the way to his toes. His house was cozy, the company was pleasant.</p><p>He had to apologise to Tera still. Maybe next week he would start making the difficult decision of choosing an apprentice for potioneering. They still had to figure out how they would transport all those carrots to the people, and to who, when they were grown. A thousand decisions to make, a future stretching out endlessly before him. Before them. </p><p>But if nothing else, at the end of the day at least he had this. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>comments very welcome !</p></blockquote></div></div>
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